Caroll Spinney
.]] Caroll Edwin Spinney (born December 26th, 1933) has performed both Oscar the Grouch & Big Bird on Sesame Street for 42 years. In a 2008 Washington Times article, Spinney said that even though performing Big Bird is physically demanding work, the 78-year-old has no intention of stopping, saying, "I can't imagine willingly walking away from Big Bird & Oscar." "He's happy being Big Bird", Ellen Simon, The Washington Times. June 19th, 2008. He has described his experience as Big Bird as "a lot like growing up to be Mickey Mouse... only taller!"The Muppet Show Fan Club Newsletter volume 3, number 6, page 4 Spinney was born in Waltham, MA & was an accomplished artist before he started working as a live performer. He attended The Art Institute of Boston's College of Art & Design. While in the military, he created a comic strip under the name Ed Spinney. In the early 1960s he created an animated cartoon series called Crazy Crayon under the same name. In 1955, Spinney headed to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he created the show Rascal Rabbit.Street Gang, pages 101-102 He returned to Boston in 1958, appearing in the summer series The Judy & Goggle Show as a puppeteer opposite Judy Valentine, performing Goggle the bird. When Judy & Goggle was moved out of its slot for station WHDH-TV's returning programming, both Spinney & Valentine were offered a berth on the Boston broadcast of Bozo's Big Top in 1959. Spinney played a variety of hand-puppet creations, usually in one-off skits, & also played Bozo's grandmother Grandma Nellie (in full clown-make-up) & several recurring costumed characters. These included Flip-Flop the Rag Doll, Kookie Kangaroo (a failed boxer), & Mr. Lion, "the fastest draw alive." The latter role combined Spinney's performing & cartoonist skills, creating quick sketches for the kids. In the 1960s, Spinney created 2 cat puppets, Picklepuss & Pop, who he performed in various venues, including stage shows & some Bozo broadcasts. Picklepuss & Pop would later go on to perform with the Muppets just once, in the 1988 Jim Henson Play-Along video Wow, You're a Cartoonist!. In 1969, Spinney met Jim Henson at the Puppeteers' of America Festival in Salt Lake City, following an ambitious experimental presentation (hosted by Picklepuss), which combined different live-puppetry techniques with film projections. The show went awry due to various technical issues & other problems, but afterwards, Henson told him that he "liked what you were trying to do." Henson then asked Spinney if he wanted to work with him on a new children's show being developed.Spinney, Caroll The Wisdom of Big Bird, page 21-25. Spinney went on to star as the man behind Oscar the Grouch & Big Bird. As Big Bird, Spinney traveled the world -- in the TV specials Big Bird in China & Big Bird in Japan, & in special Sesame Street episodes that took him to New Mexico & Hawaii. He has also starred in a feature film, Follow That Bird. Spinney has guest starred as his characters on many other programs, including The Flip Wilson Show, Scrubs, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, 1 vs 100, The Muppet Show, & over 141 episodes of Hollywood Squares. Spinney wrote an autobiography in 2003 titled The Wisdom of Big Bird (& the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers. Caroll Spinney also wrote & illustrated How to Be a Grouch, a 1976 picture book that explains the world from Oscar's point of view. Spinney also drew the picture of Mr. Hooper that Big Bird drew after Mr. Hooper died, & designed 1 of his characters, Bruno the Trashman. Spinney has also performed as Granny Bird, Big Bird's grandmother. The puppet used for Granny Bird is a spare Big Bird puppet, & Spinney provides her voice. As Granny Bird's appearances are often alongside Big Bird, (who is, as she stated, her "favorite grandson"), her voice is usually pre-recorded so that Spinney can perform Big Bird. His artwork was featured in a 2010/2011 exhibit at ToonSeum. A recently announced documentary about Spinney is in production. Spinney currently resides in Woodstock, Connecticut, w/ his wife, Debra. The couple have 3 children. Muppeteer Credits *''Sesame Street: 'Granny Bird, '''Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bruno the Trashman, Big Bird (animated), ("The Street We Live On"), Oscar the Grouch (animated) ("The Street We Live On"), Baby Monster (1969), Bennett Snerf (Anything Muppet version), Hippie, Lefty the Salesman (occasional), Shivers the Penguin (early 80s), Squeaky the Elf, Yellow Submarine Pumpkin pilot, various Anything Muppet characters *''Wow, You're a Cartoonist!: Picklepuss & Pop *Christmas Eve on Sesame Street: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *The Muppet Movie: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *The Great Muppet Caper: 'Oscar the Grouch' *The Muppets Take Manhattan: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *Follow That Bird: 'Oscar the Grouch, '''Big Bird & Bruno the Trashman *''A Muppet Family Christmas: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *Sesame Street: 20 & Still Counting: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *Jim Henson's memorial service: Himself & as both 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson: 'Big Bird' *Elmo Saves Christmas: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *Elmo's Christmas Countdown: 'Oscar the Grouch' & 'Big Bird' *See also 'Big Bird' Filmography & 'Oscar the Grouch' Filmography for all other films, guest appearances & specials Awards & Honors '''Dates Unknown' *Spinney has earned 4 Daytime Emmy Awards, 2 Gold Records, & 2 Grammy Awards. 1994 *As Big Bird, Spinney was honored with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2000 *As Big Bird, Spinney was awarded the Library of Congress Living Legend Award in April 2000. According to the Library of Congress website, "the award is selected by the Library's curators & subject specialists to honor artists, writers, activists, filmmakers, physicians, entertainers, sports figures & public servants who have made significant contributions to America's diverse cultural, scientific & social heritage." 2006 *Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award 2007 *Outstanding Performer In A Children's Series (tie):, Spinney as Oscar the Grouch & Kevin Clash as Elmo (transcript) Notes *Spinney explained in a 2007 interview that when there's a scene with both Big Bird & Oscar that "if I'm doing the Bird, I’ll have my assistant move Oscar, but I'll do both voices. Usually, we pre-record the 1 that my assistant is moving. Once in a while, if it's Oscar's scene & he has a lot more words than Big Bird, then I have my assistant stand in for Big Bird & I record Big Bird's voice, digitally. That way, they can be talking to each other."Twardzik, Cathleen. Meet the man behind Big Bird, Parents & Kids. February 19, 2007. *While Sesame Street was still in planning stages, Caroll Spinney suggested to Jim Henson that the show have unscripted conversations between Muppets and real-live children.Spinney, Caroll. The Wisdom of Big Bird, page 132. *Spinney almost left Sesame Street before season 2, due to a low salary, the expense of living in New York, & an offer to produce his own Picklepuss show in Boston during the break between seasons. However, Kermit Love convinced Spinney to give the show another month before deciding to quit, & soon decided to stay on the show.Spinney, Caroll. The Wisdom of Big Bird, pages 63-65. *For some time, his name was spelled as Carroll Spinney, w/ 2 r's in his 1st name.Jim Henson's Red Book entry, 8/1969 – P. of A. Festival. Salt Lake City – met Carroll Spinney. Asked him to join us. External links *Official site *Official Fansite *Fansite *NPR Interview *Tribute song to Caroll Spinney *New Yorker interview with Caroll Spinney *Sesame Workshop Blog: An Interview with Sesame Street's Caroll Spinney Photo gallery File:Caroll & Oscar at Wittenberg.jpg|Caroll & Oscar at Wittenberg University. File:Caroll & Oscar at Emmy Awards.jpg|Caroll & Oscar at the Daytime Emmy Awards. File:Oscar the Grouch & Caroll Spinney Emmy Awards.jpg|Caroll & Oscar again at the Emmy Awards. File:Big Bird, Caroll & Oscar.jpg|'Caroll Spinney' poses with Oscar the Grouch & Big Bird. File:Oscar & Caroll Spinney 1.jpg File:Oscar & Caroll Spinney 2.jpg File:Oscar & Caroll Spinney 3.jpg File:Oscar & Caroll Spinney 4.jpg File:Caroll Pam Oscar Grundgetta 1.jpg File:Caroll Pam Oscar Grundgetta 2.jpg File:Caroll Pam Oscar Grundgetta 3.jpg File:Caroll Pam Oscar Grundgetta 4.jpg Predecessors/Successors Sources See also *'Caroll Spinney' on the Puppet Wiki *'Caroll Spinney' on the [http://oscarthegrouch.wikia.com/wiki/The_Oscar_the_Grouch_Wiki Oscar the Grouch Wiki] Spinney, Caroll Spinney, Caroll